Trolley for electric signals for railways.



H. J. WARTH'EN. TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 16, 1910. RENEWED FEB. ,5, 1914.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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mm STIL @m H. J. WARTHEN. TROLLEY POR ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED JUN 16, 1910. RBNBWBD PEB. 5. 1914.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914,

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H1 1 im H 11 11M UNITED sTnTns PATENT OFFICE..

HARRY J. WARTHEN, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or coifUMBIA.

TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS.

spcification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

Application filed .Tune 416, 1910, Serial No. 567,302. Renewed February 5, 1914. -Serial Nol 816,844.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, HARRY J. WARTHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of lVashington, District of Columbia, have invented a Trolley for Electric Signals for Railways, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

This invention is an improvement in electric signals for railways, and relates more especially to a trolley device for making electric connection between an electric circuit on a moving train and an external partial circuit in which short ramp-rails alongside the railway track are included.

The primary object of my present inven-` tion is to providev a trolley device with a switch which is adaptedto close the circuit on the train orl locomotive, herein termed the cab-circuit, whenvthe trolley-arm is out `of engagement withv the ramp-rails, and to connect up an external partial circuit, or electric connections 'along the track, vwhen the trolley-arm is in engagement with a ramp-rail, in connection with a make and break device in the partial circuit, and means for maintaining the `cab-circuit open in the event the `partial circuit is broken when the trolley-arm passesl from a ramprail; all as will be hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanyln drawings, which form a part of this specificationz--Figurel is a side elevation of a trolley-device, constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; F 3 is a transverse sectional view through the center of the trolley-device. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on the line 4 4 of Fig'. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a guiding-standard for the trolley-arms. Fig. 6 is a view illus- 4trating the operation of the device, and Fig.

' 7 is a view illustrating a modification.`

Like numerals' of reference indicate like partsinallthe figures of the drawings.

Incarrying out my invention I preferably provide two trolley-arms, 8, 8, formed integrally with and projecting in opposite directions from a central hub Sa, by which said trolley-arms are firmly secured to a rotatable supporting-wheel 9, the latter being loosely mounted on a shaft 10 supported in suitable standards 11. The outer end of each trolley-arm is provided with a yielding shoe 12,

normally projected by an interposed spring 13, said shoe being adapted-to engage a ramp-rail forming part of the external parl side of the supportinglwheel 9 which carries the trolley-arms, is an electro-magnet l5, the limer plain face of which adjoins the inner face of said supporting-wheel, whereby when the electro-magnet is energized the magnetic attraction will hold the wheels together so that the electro-magnet will turn with the supporting-wheel; and, conversely, when the electro-magnet is denergized the supporting-wheel will turn independently thereof, for the `purpose hereinafter explained.I The electro-magnet carries one member of an electric-switch, in the present instance a pair of blades 16, the other member as 17, of said'switch beine carried by a bracket 1.8 supported by one of? the standards l1 and insulated therefrom, whereby when the electro-magnet is in its normal position the switch will be closed.

The trolley-arms are movable vertically, and are suitably guided by means of standards or gui-des 19. As the normal position of the trolley-arms is horizontal, as indicated in the drawings, when either one is depressed it is returned to this normal position y means of a spring 20 acting on a presserbar 21, the latter having pins 22 which engage in slots 23- in the standards or guides 19 so as to limit the upward movement of the presser-bar. In this manner the trolley-arms when not in engagement with a ramp-rail are firmly held in a horizontal position b y reason of the equalization of the springs, 1t being apparent that when either trolley-arm is depressed compressing its s ring the other trolleyarm moves upward) free of vits presser-bar. It will be understood that in use only one trolley-arm is in operation at a time, the ramp-rails being located on one side only of the track upon which the train moves, the two arms being employed so that one yor the other may operate whether the locomotive is proceeding along the track either forward or backward. f

The cab circuit is from one side of a battery, 24, by wire 25 to the switch member 16, and from the other side of said battery by wire 26 to one side of a relay 27, and

from the other side of said relay by wire 28 to the switch member 17; whereby when the switch is closed the cab circuit will also be closed. A lamp, as 29, showing a white light, is connected Ain this circuit to the wires .extending from opposite sides of the relay, as shown, so that said lamp will be lighted when the cab-circuit is closed and the relay energized. Also, the electro-magnet is connected in this circuit by wire 30 to wire 28 at one side of the relayand by wire 31 to Wire 26 at the other side of said relay, so that the electro-magnet will be energized when the cab-circuit is closed. For the pur- I providea lamp 32, oneY side Ofvwhichlis,

^ connected by wire 33 toone wire, as 26, leading directly to one pole of the battery, and.

at the other side to one of a pair of spaced apart contact-points 34, the other of which latter is connected to the wire 25 leading to t-hel other pole or" the battery, said contact points being electrically connected by the armature of the relay resting thereon when said relay is denergized, as will be obvious; Wire 28 of the cab circuit is also connected by wire 35 to an axle and wheels of the locomotive, preferably throughl the engineframe, so as to connect one'pole of the battery 24 to a track-rail, as 36, and said rail is connected by wire 37 to a make and break device, for instance an electric switch 38, connected by wire 39 to ramp-rail 14 (see Fig. 6), so that the current through the external or track connections may return to the other pole of battery 24 through the trolley-arm, switch-member 16 and wire 25. The electric-switch 38 is employed in the resent instance merely for the purpose of illustrating the operation of the invention, butin practice this make and breakv device will be in the form of relays and armatures forming part of the system embodied in a companion application filed June 15, 1910; Serial No. 567300.

In the operation of the present invention, when they locomotive is moving between ramp-rails and the switch 16--17 is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, lamp 29 showing a white light will be lighted, relay 27 will be energized, and the electro-magnet also energized,the latter being then attracted to the trolley -wheel 9 sov as to turn therewith when either trolley-arm is depressed. Now when the locomotive arrives at a ramp-rail and the trolley-arm 8 is depressed by ltuch ramp-railswitch 16-17 will be opened by reason of' the electro-magnet 15 turning with the trolley-wheel 15, and the current from battery .24 will then pass through the external or track connections by wire 25 to switch-member 16, trolley-arm 8, shoe 13, ramp -rail 14, wire 39,l through electric- 65 switch 38, wire 37 to rail 36, through wheels pose of showing a red light when the cab and axle of locomotive to wire 35, and by wire 28, relay 27 and wire 26 to the fvother pole of the battery, and as lamp 29 and electro-magnet 15 are included in this circuit the lamp will remain lighted and the magnet energized. On the other hand should electric-switch 38 be open 'this circuit would be broken, in which event relay 27 would become denergzed connecting lamp 32, showing a red light, in a short circuit with the battery 24,'indicating danger, and the electro-magnet 15 would also become denergized, and should the trolley-arm pass from the ramp-rail with this condition the trolleywheel would return to normal position and leave the electro -magnet in the position shown in Fig. 6, thus maintaining. the switch 1 16-17 open and the'cab circuit broken. To restore the external circuit it will then be necessary for the engineerto back the train to the ramp-rail and wait until the electricswitch` 38 is closed. After switch 38 is closed, thus completing the cab-circuit, the electro-magnet becomes energized and when the trolley-arm passes from the ramp-rail said electro-magnet will return with the trolley-wheel and close the switch 1617 to maintain a closed cab-circuit.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of electrically-operated ymechanical device for closing the switch 16--17 through thel intervention of the ramp-rail when the track circuit by -way of the track connections is closed by switch 38. In this instance I employ in place of the yelectro-magnet 15 an ordinary wheel 40, to which is secured a bracket-arm 41 carrying a solenoid 42, the stai 43 of the latter passing through a slot 44 in the rim of wheel 9 and having a cross-head 45 with upwardly projectmg lugs 46 which are adapted to take into corresponding recesses in the rim of wheel 9 when the solenoid is energized. In this instance when the circuit is completed by way of the electric-switch`38 and the ramp-rail the solenoid will be energized and the stati thereof will enga e the r1m of trolley-wheel 9 so '-as to turn t erewith and close switch 1. In an electric signal system for railv ways, in combination with an external partial circuit, of a make and break device in` the partial circuit, short rails or conductors also included in the partial circuit and connected to one member of the make and break device, a movable trolley-arm on the locomot-ive engaging the short rails or conductors and actuated thereby, an electric battery on the locomotive, a movable device carrying an electric-switch member connectl ley-arm so that they may "move together, a

companion electric-switch member connected to the other pole of the battery, and electric connections from the lastl mentioned pole of the battery to that part'of the external partial circuit leading to the other member of the aforesaid lmake Vand break device.

2. In an electric signal for rail\vays,lthe combination with an` external partial circuit, of a make and break device in the partial circuit, short rails or conductors also included in the partial circuit and connected to one member of the make and break device, a movable trolley-arm engaging the short rails or conductors and actuated thereby, an electric battery on the locomotive, an electro-magnet carrying an electric-switch 'member and movable with the trolley-arm when attracted thereto, said electric-switch member being connected Vto one pole of the battery, a companion electric-switch memberconnected ,by wire to the other pole of the battery, the electro-magnet being connected to said wire, and electric connections between said Wire and, that part of the partial circuit leading to the other member of the aforesaid make and break device; substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electric signal system for railways, the combination with an electric battery and an external partial circuit, of aA make and break ydevice in the partial circuit, short rails or conductors also included in the Vpartial circuit and connected to one member of the make and break device, a spring-actuated trolley-arm for engagement with the short rails or conductors, a yielding shoe at the outer end of the trolley-arm, a. wheel for supporting the trolley-arm and movable therewith, a rotatably mounted electro-magnet alongside the wheel attracting said wheel to turn therewith when the magnet is energized, an electric-switch member carried by said electro-magnet and connected to one pole of the. battery, a companion electric-switch member connected by wire to the other pole of said battery, the electro-magnet being connected to said wire and elec/tric connections lbetween the wire and that part of the external partial circuit leading to the other member of the make and break device; substantially as shown and ldescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY J. WAR'IHEN. IVitnesses L. S. AUsTlN, Dr. W. Reiss. 

